With little kids, a commute and a demanding job, a good night’s sleep is critical to getting through the day with a smile on my face. But, oftentimes I have a hard time falling asleep due to work stress, or stress over getting my child’s elementary school applications in, summer camp schedules sorted out or maybe even something more serious. Also, just having gone through the first year with a baby, I’m also accustomed to waking in the middle of the night. So, when the NightWave Sleep Assistant arrived at my house, I was extremely eager to try it out.
The device itself fits in the palm of my hand and easy to use. It has a button where you can set the mode and a small circle from which the blue light shines. It is a very simple device and easy to set up and get started. The first night, I darkened my room, turned the NightWave on to the 7 minute mode, and the soft blue light started to ebb and flow. I adjusted my breathing to the light and literally, within several minutes, when the light was turning dark, my eyes were heavy and I wasn’t sure whether the room was turing dark or if my eyes were closing shut. Next thing I know, it was morning and I was being awakened by my son. I tried it again on night two. Same thing. I rolled over and was asleep I think before the 7 minute cycle ended. Again, I did not know whether or not the room was getting dark or my eyes were shutting. I was addicted.
I have tried the NightWave several times when my husband was in the room reading or watching tv. In those cases, it was harder to use the NightWave because of the extra light in the room. Even though I tried to adjust my breathing to the light, there is something that was working for me in the dark room with the blue light that the breathing technique alone was not doing. I also tried the NightWave in the flashlight mode, which works fine but I don’t think I’ll really use it unless there is an emergency. The mood softener mode where the blue light pulses at a relaxed heart rate didn’t do much, if anything, for me. The “mood light” was just a blue light cast in my room. And the longer sleep cycle mode, though perhaps necessary for some, was not necessary for me.
I’ve never tried other natural sleep aids before but this one worked great and unlike sleep aid pills, the Nightwave had me refreshed and well-rested in the morning.